I visited the Nisa ruins with a tour group, including an expert local guide. I have visited ruins all overt he world, and these are among the least impressive. They are very old, but there is very little to see; some sections are rebuilt to give an impression of their former appearance, and there are some drawings of what the former buildings might have looked liked. But you are actually looking at very little in terms of old structures. I thought it was a waste of time - I would have enjoyed a lecture on Nisa and the Parthians, but visiting the ruins provided very little to see.
This site is well laid out with signage in 3 languages including English so you can get by without a guide, however the guide adds to the experience.
It is great to see the site then go to the National Museum and see some of the artefacts found when the site was excavated.
This is clearly the place to visit near Ashgabat - birthplace of some important discoveries, even if it looks now like an archeological site.
In Spring, the poppies provide a wonderful backdrop.
We made the 30 minutes or so trip to Nisa and spent probably close to an hour - there were very few other people touring the area while we were on the site; our guide was good and related much of the history but one must use great imagination as most of the site is in ruins - some walls have been reconstructed and the walkways or easily navigable. This is the closest archeological area near Ashgabat.
There are many steps to climb up the hillside to view the remnants of the fortress but its not to be missed. The whole setting is just beautiful with the Kopet-Dag mountains forming the natural border between Turkmenistan and Iran very close by. Being springtime and the rainy season the vista was a luscious green as far as the eye could see with tiny little red wild poppies dotted amongst the grass. This UNESCO world heritage site represents one of the most important and powerful cities of the Parthian Empire which was responsible for preventing the expansion of the Roman Empire to the East.
